Weekly Current Affairs: 01–08 August, 2026 | Assam, National & International News

Glaw Lake Becomes India's 101st Ramsar Site — First in Arunachal Pradesh

Date: 04 August 2026 | Location: Lohit district, Arunachal Pradesh | Body Involved: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced Glaw Lake, located inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, as India's 101st Ramsar Site and Arunachal Pradesh's first. The pristine freshwater lake in the Eastern Himalayas supports over 150 tree species and 49 orchid species, with the surrounding landscape home to tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, and snow leopard. India's Ramsar tally has grown from 26 in 2014 to 101 now — a key statistic for Environment & Ecology questions.

Meghalaya Launches 'Mission Clouded Leopard'

Date: 07 August 2026 | Location: Meghalaya | Body Involved: Government of Meghalaya

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma launched Mission Clouded Leopard to protect the state animal, the Mainland Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), covering habitat protection, anti-poaching, and community participation. A preliminary survey identified 21 individual clouded leopards in the Balpakram landscape. The species is listed Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and has Schedule I protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Panel Calls for Modernisation of Public Libraries in North East India

Date: 02 August 2026 | Location: North East India

A panel called for modernising public libraries across the Northeast, including Assam, to improve literacy and information-access infrastructure. Public library development in India is typically supported through Ministry of Culture schemes such as the Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF), which extends financial and technical assistance to state-level public library networks. The Northeast, despite steady literacy gains in recent decades, has historically lagged behind other regions in library density and digital-access infrastructure, making this a relevant topic for regional education and cultural-policy questions.

---

2. National Politics, Government & International Relations

Rajya Sabha Passes Bill Raising Supreme Court Judges from 34 to 38

Date: 07 August 2026

Parliament passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, as a Money Bill, raising the Court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges (including the CJI) — the first increase since 2019. It replaces a May 2026 Ordinance and was passed amid an Opposition walkout over the Money Bill route.

Government Clarifies EWS Reservation Eligibility; Opposes Creamy Layer for SC/ST Quotas

Date: 05 & 08 August 2026

The government clarified the objective and eligibility criteria of the 10% EWS reservation (introduced via the 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019). Separately, it told the Supreme Court the creamy-layer principle — drawn from the Ashoka Kumar Thakur judgment — applies only to OBCs, not SC/ST quotas, since SC/ST reservation rests on historical discrimination rather than economic status alone.

Parliament Passes Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026

Date: 04 August 2026

The amendment makes delayed registration (beyond 2 years) require a Judicial Magistrate First Class order after verification, tightening a process earlier handled at the administrative level. Birth registration is governed by the original Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, under which every birth and death must ordinarily be registered within 21 days; the amendment strengthens verification for cases registered well after that window. Birth registration coverage has improved from around 86% in 2014 to over 99% now, and death registration from 72.5% to 99.4%, reflecting the broader push toward complete civil registration as a foundation for welfare-scheme delivery and identity documentation.

Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Bill, 2026 Triggers Controversy

Date: 07 August 2026

The ISI Bill proposes governance changes to the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), founded by P.C. Mahalanobis in 1931 and later declared an Institute of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in 1959. ISI has been foundational to India's statistical infrastructure, including its role in shaping large-scale sample-survey methodology later used by the National Sample Survey Office. Critics of the 2026 Bill argue that proposed changes to its governing council and administrative oversight could dilute the academic autonomy that has historically allowed the institute to set its own research and teaching priorities, a concern that echoes similar autonomy debates around other Institutes of National Importance.

Special Intensive Revision (SIR): 43.6 Lakh Names Deleted from Jharkhand Electoral Rolls

Date: 07 August 2026

Jharkhand's draft rolls under the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) show deletion of about 43.61 lakh names — nearly 16.5% of the state's electors — through removal of deceased persons, voters who have permanently shifted residence, and duplicate entries, while also enrolling newly eligible voters. SIR exercises are distinct from the routine annual summary revision of rolls and involve door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers. Similar SIR exercises have been rolled out in other states in 2025-26, and large-scale deletions have triggered political debate over verification accuracy, given the scale of names removed relative to the electorate.

Prashant Kishor Wins Bankipur Bypoll, Ending BJP's 30-Year Hold

Date: 04 August 2026 | Location: Bihar

Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor won the Bankipur assembly bypoll in his electoral debut, defeating BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha by 19,324 votes (64,151 votes to 44,827), with the RJD finishing a distant third — Jan Suraaj's first assembly seat win. Prashant Kishor is a political strategist who previously advised several parties on election campaigns before launching Jan Suraaj as his own political outfit. Bankipur had been held by the BJP since 1995 and fell vacant after sitting MLA Nitin Nabin moved to the Rajya Sabha; the win is being read as an early signal of Jan Suraaj's electoral traction ahead of Bihar's full assembly elections.

Cauvery Water Dispute Escalates Between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

Date: 03–04 August 2026

Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar appealed to Opposition parties, farmers' groups, and Kannada organisations to withdraw a proposed 13 August statewide bandh protesting the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, while Tamil Nadu separately moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to enforce the Cauvery Water Management Authority's (CWMA) release decision. The Cauvery dispute is one of India's longest-running inter-state river water conflicts, involving Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry, and was formally adjudicated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, whose 2007 award (as modified by the Supreme Court in 2018) set the current water-sharing formula that the CWMA now oversees implementation of.

Karnataka Cabinet Expanded with 19 New Ministers

Date: 04 August 2026 | Location: Bengaluru

The Karnataka government under CM D.K. Shivakumar inducted 19 new ministers in a swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru. Cabinet expansions of this scale typically follow coalition or factional balancing within the ruling party and are watched closely for their effect on portfolio allocation and governance priorities in the state. This is a useful state-politics item for questions on the Council of Ministers and state cabinet composition.

Supreme Court Directs Closure of FIRs Against NEET Protest Students

Date: 04 August 2026

The Supreme Court directed states, including Delhi, to close or withdraw FIRs registered against students who took part in the 20 July 2026 protests over the NEET-UG paper leak, carving out an exception for grave and heinous offences where accountability is retained. Separately, the Centre told the Court it is actively considering shifting NEET-UG to a two-stage examination format similar to JEE (Main and Advanced), which would split the single high-stakes test into two rounds to reduce the risks associated with one make-or-break exam. This comes amid continuing scrutiny of NEET-UG's examination integrity following repeated paper-leak controversies in recent years, and NEET-UG 2026 counselling has also begun even as these reform discussions continue.

Rajya Sabha Passes Appropriation Bill, 2026

Date: 08 August 2026

The Bill authorises withdrawal of ₹54,067.44 crore from the Consolidated Fund of India to regularise Excess Grants incurred by various ministries and departments for FY 2022-23. Under Article 114 of the Constitution, no money can be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of India except under an appropriation made by law, so any spending beyond amounts originally sanctioned by Parliament for a financial year must later be regularised through a dedicated Appropriation Bill, based on findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). This retrospective regularisation is a routine but constitutionally mandatory part of India's parliamentary financial-control process.

Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign 2026 Launched

Date: 06–08 August 2026

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign 2026, running from 9 to 17 August ahead of Independence Day, encouraging citizens to hoist the National Flag at their homes. First launched in 2022 to mark 75 years of independence (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav), the campaign has since become an annual fixture, with previous editions seeing tens of millions of citizens upload Tiranga photographs to the official harghartiranga.com portal. As part of the 2026 campaign, the Department of Youth Affairs also promoted a National Flag of India Quiz 2026 through the MY Bharat platform, testing citizens' knowledge of the Flag Code of India and the history of the tricolour.

Government Assures Christian Bodies FCRA Amendment Bill is Religion-Neutral

Date: 08 August 2026

Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured Christian organisations that the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) are religion-neutral and aimed only at greater transparency and proper utilisation of foreign funds received by NGOs, not at restricting any particular community. The FCRA regulates the acceptance and use of foreign contributions by individuals, associations, and companies in India and is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. This clarification followed concerns raised by some faith-based organisations ahead of the Bill's introduction.

PM Launches 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan'

Date: 02 August 2026

PM Modi launched a 100-week nationwide Jan Bhagidari campaign against youth drug abuse; over 1 crore youth took the pledge on day one across 28,000+ locations, coordinated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports via MY Bharat. Its state-level launch in Tripura was inaugurated by the Governor.

India Observes 12th National Handloom Day

Date: 07 August 2026 | Location: Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi

National Handloom Day, marking the 1905 Swadeshi Movement anniversary, was observed with President Droupadi Murmu as Chief Guest; 22 awards (3 Sant Kabir Handloom Awards, 19 National Handloom Awards for 2025) were presented. The sector supports over 35 lakh weavers, over 70% of them women.

Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Schemes Merged with Centrally Sponsored Scheme

Date: 08 August 2026

The Dr. Ambedkar Foundation's Inter-Caste Marriage scheme (which incentivises inter-caste marriages involving a Scheduled Caste partner) and its Atrocity Victims Relief scheme were merged into a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, effective 31 March 2023. The Foundation itself functions under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. This tests the distinction between Central Sector Schemes (fully funded by the Centre) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (jointly funded by Centre and states), a recurring polity/governance exam topic.

Census 2011 Data: SC Representation in Central Government Services at 17.14%

Date: 07 August 2026 | Body Involved: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment / Parliament

Caste-wise Scheduled Caste population figures drawn from Census 2011 were cited in a parliamentary response, showing that the overall representation of Scheduled Castes in Central Government services stands at 17.14%. This figure is used as a benchmark when assessing whether SC representation in government employment is proportionate to their share of the population, and such Census-based statistics are routinely referenced in parliamentary answers on reservation and representation even years after the Census itself. It is a useful data point for social-justice, polity, and representation questions in APSC, UPSC, and SSC current-affairs sections.

DDU-GKY 2.0 Progress Reviewed; NeVA Implementation Challenges Discussed

Date: 04–05 August 2026

Rural Development MoS Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar reviewed the progress of DDU-GKY 2.0, calling for timely implementation and digital reforms. The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is a placement-linked skill-training scheme for rural youth aged 15-35, launched in 2014 under the Ministry of Rural Development as part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission, with the 2.0 phase aimed at improving training quality, employer linkages, and post-placement tracking. Separately, Parliament discussed implementation challenges in the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA), a Digital India mission-mode project intended to make every state legislature paperless by digitising bills, questions, and proceedings on a common platform, with several states still facing rollout and integration delays.

---

3. International Relations

Nauru Renames Itself Republic of Naoero

Date: 31 July 2026

Pacific nation Nauru officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, confirmed by President David Adeang, following a May 2026 constitutional amendment to restore indigenous identity. The UN was informed on 26 June 2026; the country code NRO is unchanged, and citizens are now called dei-Naoero.

Indian-Flagged Vessel Attacked in the Red Sea; All 13 Crew Rescued

Date: 05 August 2026

The Indian-flagged commercial vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya was attacked and sank in the Red Sea about 13 nautical miles south of Al Hudaydah on Yemen's western coast on 4 August 2026. All 14 crew members aboard — 13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni national — were rescued unharmed in a joint operation by the Yemeni Navy and Coast Guard and brought to the Port of Mokha. The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack, said its Embassy in Riyadh was coordinating with Yemeni authorities for the crew's safety, and called the continuing attacks on commercial shipping in the region "deeply worrisome," urging that free and unimpeded navigation be restored under international law. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed the safe rescue and directed the Director General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) to coordinate with all agencies to ensure the security of Indian seafarers in the region.

Wider context: India's Indian-flagged merchant fleet comprised roughly 1,600 vessels (about 14 million gross tonnage) as of late 2025-26 — only around 2% of world shipping tonnage, even though Indian seafarers make up a much larger share of the global crewing workforce, which is why Indian nationals are disproportionately represented among crews caught up in attacks on this corridor. The Indian Navy has maintained a standing maritime-security presence in the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, and the wider Red Sea region since 2019 under Operation Sankalp, escorting Indian-flagged vessels and running anti-piracy patrols; the mission's scope was expanded toward the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait after Houthi attacks on commercial shipping escalated from late 2023 onward. Attacks of this kind are a recurring theme for questions on maritime security, key global shipping chokepoints, and India's naval posture in the Indian Ocean Region.

India Hosts Second BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group Meeting

Date: 04–05 August 2026 | Location: Hyderabad

Held in Hyderabad under India's current BRICS Presidency, alongside the Expert Network on Asset Recovery Meeting, the gathering focused on strengthening cross-border anti-corruption cooperation and asset recovery mechanisms among BRICS member states. The BRICS Presidency rotates annually among member countries, giving the host nation the opportunity to set the agenda for that year's working-group meetings across sectors including governance and anti-corruption.

India and Sri Lanka Finalise Bilateral Social Security Agreement

Date: 08 August 2026

Concluded during Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's Colombo visit, the Social Security Agreement exempts workers temporarily employed in each other's countries from having to contribute to both nations' social-security systems simultaneously, easing the compliance burden on cross-border professionals and businesses. Both sides also agreed to advance talks on updating their existing bilateral Free Trade Agreement (India-Sri Lanka FTA, in force since 2000), and India extended Rupee-denominated Lines of Credit for Sri Lankan railway modernisation and livestock-development projects, continuing New Delhi's 'Neighbourhood First' policy of extending concessional financing to Sri Lanka, notably since supporting the island nation through its 2022 economic crisis.

PM Modi's Calls with US Vice President, Israeli PM Netanyahu; Uzbek FM Visits President

Date: 03, 06, 08 August 2026

PM Modi held telephone calls with the US Vice President and Israeli PM Netanyahu; separately, Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister called on the President, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal invited Indian and Uzbek businesses to co-invest and co-manufacture, calling for doubling bilateral trade at the India-Uzbekistan Business Forum.

---

4. Economy & Banking

India's July GST Collections Surge 15.4% to ₹2.11 Lakh Crore

Date: 01 August 2026

Domestic GST revenue rose to ₹1.45 lakh crore and import GST rose 28.8% to ₹66,511 crore; net collections after refunds stood at ₹1.81 lakh crore. April–July FY27 gross collection reached ₹8.43 lakh crore, with Haryana recording the highest state-wise growth at 25%. GST, introduced on 1 July 2017 as a single indirect tax subsuming most central and state levies (excise, service tax, VAT, and others), is administered jointly by the Centre and states through the GST Council; monthly collection figures are among the most closely tracked indicators of both consumption demand and tax-compliance strength, and are a recurring economy-section topic across competitive exams.

India's Fiscal Deficit Hits ₹3.1 Trillion in Q1 FY27

Date: 01 August 2026

This is 18.2% of the FY27 fiscal deficit target of ₹16.96 trillion; net tax revenue was ₹6.4 trillion, non-tax revenue ₹3.8 trillion, and total expenditure ₹13.6 trillion. The fiscal deficit is the gap between the government's total expenditure and its total receipts (excluding borrowings) in a financial year, and is typically expressed as a percentage of GDP to allow year-on-year comparison; the government retained its 4.3%-of-GDP deficit target for FY27, continuing the post-pandemic glide path of gradual fiscal consolidation recommended by successive Finance Commissions and the FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) framework.

India's Forex Reserves Climb to $682.35 Billion

Date: Week ended 24 July 2026

Reserves rose by $6.12 billion for the week, with Foreign Currency Assets (FCA) — the largest component, comprising foreign securities, deposits with other central banks, and India's holdings of foreign currency — at $555.93 billion, and gold reserves up $1.31 billion, while SDR (Special Drawing Rights) holdings and India's Reserve Position at the IMF declined slightly. Forex reserves act as a buffer against external shocks and currency volatility, and are managed by the RBI; India's reserves have historically ranked among the world's largest, typically providing well over a year's worth of import cover, a key financial-stability metric tracked in economy-section current affairs.

Centre Releases Additional ₹1.09 Lakh Crore as Tax Devolution to States

Date: 03 August 2026

This was an additional instalment released over and above the regular schedule, representing states' constitutionally mandated share of central taxes as recommended by the Finance Commission under Article 280 of the Constitution. Tax devolution of this kind strengthens states' fiscal position for development, welfare, and infrastructure spending, and is a recurring topic in questions on fiscal federalism and Centre-state financial relations.

RBI Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged at 5.25% for Fourth Consecutive Time

Date: 05 August 2026

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), a six-member body chaired by the RBI Governor that meets bi-monthly to set the policy repo rate under India's inflation-targeting framework (4% CPI inflation, with a 2-6% tolerance band), unanimously kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% under Governor Sanjay Malhotra (SDF 5.00%, MSF/Bank Rate 5.50%), maintaining a neutral policy stance. It projected 6.7% real GDP growth and 5.00% CPI inflation for 2026-27, citing West Asia tensions and global energy-price uncertainty as reasons for caution. The repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends short-term funds to commercial banks, and changes to it influence borrowing costs, EMIs, and overall credit growth across the economy — making MPC decisions one of the most closely tracked banking-exam topics.

RBI to Introduce Polymer Banknotes from FY 2027-28

Date: 07 August 2026

The move is subject to successful completion of ongoing trials of polymer notes in different denominations. Unlike India's current cotton-fibre paper currency, polymer notes last considerably longer in circulation, are more resistant to water, dirt, and tearing, and are harder to counterfeit due to embedded security features. Polymer banknotes are already in circulation in countries such as Australia, Canada, and the UK, and their longer lifespan is expected to reduce the RBI's currency-replacement costs over time.

RBI Classifies Tata Sons as NBFC-Upper Layer

Date: 08 August 2026

Under the RBI's Scale-Based Regulatory Framework (SBRF) for Non-Banking Financial Companies, introduced in 2021 to tier NBFC regulation by systemic risk (Base, Middle, Upper, and Top Layers), Tata Sons — the principal holding company of the Tata Group — was classified as an NBFC-Upper Layer (NBFC-UL), subjecting it to stricter capital adequacy, governance, and risk-management norms comparable to those applied to banks. NBFC-UL classification typically triggers a mandatory listing requirement within three years under RBI norms, raising market expectations that Tata Sons — which has so far remained unlisted despite most Tata Group operating companies being publicly traded — may eventually move toward a stock-exchange listing.

Government Advances Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026

Date: 06 August 2026

The Bill aims to update the framework under the existing Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891, so that electronic banking records can be formally admitted as evidence in court proceedings. This is especially relevant for cases involving digital transactions, cyber fraud, and mule-account misuse, where records exist only in electronic form rather than as physical ledgers.

Cabinet Approves Samudra Manthan — National Offshore Exploration Scheme (₹84,084 Crore)

Date: 01–02 August 2026

Runs till FY 2030-31: ₹28,534 crore for offshore seismic data, ₹43,200 crore for 60 deepwater exploration wells (up to 50% government support or ₹675 crore/well), ₹10,000 crore for offshore infrastructure hubs, and ₹2,000 crore for Oil & Gas Manufacturing Zones. Aims to expand hydrocarbon resources from 1.6 to 2.2 billion TOE.

Cabinet Extends PM-KISAN Till 2030-31 with ₹3.15 Lakh Crore Outlay

Date: 01 August 2026

Eligible landholding farmer families continue receiving ₹6,000 per year in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) directly into their bank accounts, bypassing intermediaries. Over ₹4.47 lakh crore has been disbursed through 23 instalments since the scheme's launch in February 2019, making PM-KISAN one of the largest DBT-based income-support programmes in the world by both beneficiary count and cumulative disbursal. The scheme is intended to help farmers meet input costs for seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, and other farm expenses, and its extension to 2030-31 signals continuity of the government's direct farmer-income-support approach alongside separate mechanisms like MSP.

Cabinet Approves GOBARdhan Scheme (₹23,731 Crore)

Date: 07 August 2026

GOBARdhan runs 2026-27 to 2035-36, aiming to increase Compressed Biogas (CBG) production nearly tenfold by converting cattle dung, agricultural residue, press mud, and municipal organic waste into fuel and organic manure — advancing India's circular-economy and waste-to-energy goals. City Gas Distribution (CGD) companies, which supply piped natural gas and CNG to households and vehicles, must meet mandatory CBG blending targets rising from 3% in FY27 to 5% from FY29 onward, with a stable administered gas price of ₹2,110 per MMBTU providing revenue certainty to biogas producers over at least a 10-year horizon. The scheme name is an acronym for Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan, reflecting its dual aim of rural income generation and clean-fuel production.

MSME (Amendment) Bill, 2026 Passed; Container Train Operators Get Single All-India Licence

Date: 05 & 07 August 2026

Parliament passed the MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, updating the legal framework for classification and regulation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Under current norms, MSMEs are classified by a composite criterion of investment in plant/machinery and annual turnover — Micro (up to ₹2.5 crore investment / ₹10 crore turnover), Small, and Medium enterprises, with thresholds periodically revised upward to keep pace with inflation and business growth. Separately, the Railways allowed container train operators to run across all routes under a single all-India licence rather than route-specific approvals, easing logistics operations and supporting the broader push for multimodal freight efficiency under the National Logistics Policy.

MSP for Crops and KCC-MISS Credit Scheme Assessed

Date: 03–04 August 2026

A parliamentary response addressed Minimum Support Prices (MSPs), the floor prices at which the government commits to procure specified crops from farmers, recommended each season by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) based on cost of production and other factors, and notified for over 20 major crops including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and cash crops. Separately, a third-party assessment found every ₹1 invested under the Kisan Credit Card–Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (KCC-MISS) — which provides farmers short-term crop loans at subsidised interest rates, typically 4% per annum for prompt repayment — contributes ₹2.30 to net value addition in agriculture and allied sectors.

---

5. Science & Technology

ICAR Develops India's First Indigenous African Swine Fever (ASF) Vaccine

Date: 05–06 August 2026

Developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal — a live attenuated vaccine (MA-104 cell line, attenuated ASFV Genotype II) for pigs above 8 weeks, dedicated to the nation by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. ASF has near-100% pig mortality and has caused heavy losses in the Northeast since 2020.

Private Sector Crosses 50% of India's Total R&D Spending for First Time

Date: 07 August 2026

Private industry accounted for 51.8% of India's total R&D expenditure in 2023-24, per Department of Science and Technology data, overtaking combined central- and state-government spending on research for the first time and marking a structural shift toward corporate-led innovation. Private industry now also employs more core researchers than government research institutions. India's overall Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) has historically hovered well below 1% of GDP — far lower than leading economies such as the US, China, or South Korea (each above 2-3%) — so the rising private-sector share is significant for the national goal of raising total R&D spending toward 2% of GDP.

IBM and Sarvam Partner to Build India's Sovereign AI

Date: 01 August 2026

IBM will provide its Sovereign Core platform — designed to let governments and regulated industries run AI workloads within their own jurisdiction, keeping data storage, processing, and model governance under domestic legal control — while Sarvam, an Indian AI startup, contributes multilingual and voice AI models trained on Indian languages, targeting banking, healthcare, and public services. The partnership sits within India's broader 'Sovereign AI' push, a policy direction (also seen in the government's IndiaAI Mission) aimed at reducing dependence on foreign AI infrastructure for sensitive government and enterprise use cases, with an emphasis on data security, localisation, and AI governance standards.

New Catfish Species Named After Tigress Khairi

Date: 01 August 2026 | Location: Budhabalanga River, Odisha

Pseudolaguvia khairii, discovered in the Budhabalanga River, Odisha, and formally described in the taxonomy journal Zootaxa on 26 July 2026, belongs to the genus Pseudolaguvia and is distinguished by a unique fleshy protuberance near its dorsal fin. It is named after Khairi, the famous tigress raised by conservationist Saroj Raj Choudhury, and its discovery highlights the rich, still-emerging biodiversity of the Similipal landscape in Odisha, a region also known for its tiger reserve.

IIT Gandhinagar Research on Indigenous High-Strength Aluminium Alloys; Nuclear SMR Questions in Parliament

Date: 05 August 2026

IIT Gandhinagar's research paves the way for indigenous high-strength aluminium alloys intended for defence, aerospace, and other strategic-sector applications, supporting India's Atmanirbhar Bharat push to reduce dependence on imported strategic-grade materials. Separately, Parliament discussed India's Nuclear Energy Mission and the planned deployment of Bharat Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) — compact, factory-built nuclear reactors typically rated well below the capacity of conventional large reactors — reflecting the government's push toward next-generation nuclear technology as part of its clean-energy and energy-security strategy.

PSB Hackathon Grand Finale Held at IIT Gandhinagar; TRAI Revamps 'MyCall' App

Date: 03 & 07 August 2026

The grand finale of the PSB (Public Sector Bank) Hackathon, held at IIT Gandhinagar, brought together young innovators to develop technology solutions for banking-sector challenges, reflecting continued digital-banking and fintech innovation efforts among India's state-owned banks. Separately, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) — the statutory body regulating telecom services under the TRAI Act, 1997 — revamped its 'MyCall' mobile app so consumers can directly rate voice call quality, feeding crowdsourced data into TRAI's service-quality monitoring.

---

6. Environment & Geography

Kerala Rains and Landslides: Death Toll Rises to 15

Date: 31 July – 04 August 2026

Extremely heavy rainfall (320 mm recorded at Ayyankunnu, Kannur district, within 24 hours) triggered landslides, flash floods, and severe waterlogging across several districts of Kerala from 31 July to 4 August 2026; 5,792 people were shifted to 209 relief camps, with 27 houses destroyed and 196 damaged. Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Wayanad, Kottayam, Kozhikode, and Kannur were worst-hit, and the IMD issued orange alerts (indicating be-prepared-level heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall warnings) for the region. Kerala's hilly Western Ghats districts — Idukki and Wayanad in particular — are especially landslide-prone due to steep terrain, high monsoon rainfall intensity, and land-use changes, a recurring theme in disaster-management and Southwest Monsoon geography questions.

Supreme Court: 10-km Mining Buffer Applies to All Wetland Reserves

Date: 04–05 August 2026

Previously, mining-buffer protections were applied unevenly across different categories of wetland reserves; the Supreme Court's ruling extends the 10-km mining-exclusion safeguard uniformly across all wetland reserve categories nationwide, closing that gap and strengthening ecological protection for sensitive wetland ecosystems from the effects of nearby mining activity.

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana Crosses 50 Lakh Rooftop Solar Installations

Date: 04 August 2026

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, launched in February 2024 to provide subsidised rooftop solar installations to households (with subsidy support for systems up to 3 kW), crossed the milestone of over 50 lakh installations nationwide by August 2026. Administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the scheme is central to India's household-level renewable energy push and is a frequently updated current-affairs figure.

Cabinet Approves PM Surya Sarovar Yojana — Floating Solar (₹5,070 Crore)

Date: 01–02 August 2026

PM-SSY targets 5,000 MW of floating solar capacity by 2030-31, to be installed on reservoirs, lakes, dams, and other inland water bodies rather than on land — a design that avoids land-acquisition costs, reduces water evaporation from the water body beneath the panels, and can improve panel efficiency through natural cooling. Every project must include mandatory Energy Storage Systems (ESS) of at least 2 hours' duration, totalling 10,000 MWh of storage capacity nationwide, with Central Financial Assistance of ₹1 crore per MW after commissioning plus up to ₹50 lakh per project for feasibility studies. India currently has only around 700 MW of floating solar capacity installed against an estimated technical potential of over 102 GW, underlining how early-stage this segment of India's renewable-energy mix still is relative to conventional ground-mounted and rooftop solar.

All Districts of Rajasthan Covered Under National Horticulture Mission

Date: 04 August 2026

The National Horticulture Mission is a sub-scheme under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), which supports the holistic growth of the horticulture sector — including fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers — through production support, post-harvest infrastructure, and market linkages. All districts of Rajasthan being brought under its coverage reflects the scheme's expanding footprint under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, relevant for agriculture-geography crossover questions on state-wise scheme coverage.

PM E-DRIVE Scheme: ₹2,000 Crore for EV Public Charging Stations

Date: 04 August 2026

The Rs 2,000 crore allocation under the PM E-DRIVE (Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement) Scheme, administered by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, is earmarked specifically for deploying Electric Vehicle Public Charging Stations (EVPCS) on a pan-India basis. Expanding public charging infrastructure is considered a key bottleneck in India's broader push for electric-vehicle adoption and supports the country's clean-mobility and climate goals.

---

7. Awards, Honours, Culture & Health

Ajit Doval Receives Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2026

Date: 01 August 2026 | Location: Pune

Conferred by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a ceremony organised by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust in Pune, the award recognises NSA Ajit Doval's contribution to national security and strategic affairs; it carries a citation, memento, and ₹1 lakh cash prize. Named after freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the Lokmanya Tilak National Award has previously been conferred on prominent public figures for distinguished national service. Ajit Doval, a 1968-batch IPS officer, has served as India's National Security Adviser since 2014, making him the country's longest-serving NSA, and has previously received the Kirti Chakra for his intelligence and counter-terrorism work.

Gujarat's Pithora Painting Receives GI Tag

Date: 01 August 2026

Pithora Painting, the sacred mural tradition of Gujarat's Rathwa tribal community (concentrated mainly in the Chhota Udepur region), depicts deities, horses, nature, village life, and spiritual symbols, and is traditionally painted on the inner walls of homes as a ritual offering to the deity Baba Pithora. The Geographical Indication (GI) Tag, granted under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 and administered by the GI Registry in Chennai, now gives it legal protection against unauthorised imitation — meaning only artworks produced by artisans from the designated region can be marketed under the registered GI name — which is expected to improve market access, pricing, and income for tribal artisans while helping preserve the indigenous knowledge behind the tradition.

Indian Railways Transports India's First Live Donor Heart via Vande Bharat Express

Date: 31 July 2026

Train No. 20901, the Mumbai Central–Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express, carried a donor heart from Surat to Ahmedabad on 31 July 2026 for transplantation at the U.N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre — India's first live donor heart transported by train. Organ transportation typically relies on road ambulances or, for longer inter-city distances, chartered flights; using a high-speed train for an organ with a strictly limited viability window (a donor heart is generally viable for only about 4-6 hours outside the body) demonstrates railways' emerging role in time-critical emergency medical logistics. A dedicated Green Corridor — a traffic-cleared route giving the ambulance uninterrupted passage — was created from Ahmedabad Railway Station to the hospital, with the operation jointly coordinated by Indian Railways, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Gujarat State Police, and hospital transplant coordinators.

PM Modi Inaugurates Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram

Date: 01 August 2026 | Location: Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh

The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport is Andhra Pradesh's first greenfield international airport since the state's 2014 bifurcation from Telangana, built at a cost of over ₹5,640 crore by the GMR Group under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Its first phase has capacity to handle 6 million passengers annually, expandable up to 40 million as demand grows; commercial flight operations are scheduled to begin from 17 August 2026. Named after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, who led the Rampa Rebellion against British rule in the 1920s, the airport is intended to boost tourism, exports, and employment in northern coastal Andhra Pradesh; PM Modi also inaugurated or laid foundation stones for other development projects worth around ₹17,900 crore during the same visit.

World Lung Cancer Day and World Wide Web Day Observed

Date: 01 August 2026

World Lung Cancer Day, observed annually on 1 August since 2012 with the 2026 theme "Together through Lung Cancer," promotes early detection, screening, and awareness of lung cancer — one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, strongly linked to tobacco use and air pollution — and is supported internationally by organisations including the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), IASLC, and CHEST. World Wide Web Day, also observed on 1 August, marks the invention of the World Wide Web by British computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while working at CERN, the European particle-physics laboratory; his invention of core web technologies — HTML, HTTP, and URLs — is distinct from the earlier invention of the Internet itself, a frequently tested distinction in science and technology general-knowledge sections.

Chandipura Virus Claims 22 Children's Lives in Gujarat; WHO Flags Three Medicines as Carcinogenic

Date: 04–06 August 2026

Chandipura virus (CHPV), a rare but severe viral infection belonging to the Vesiculovirus genus and transmitted mainly by sandflies (and possibly mosquitoes/ticks), predominantly affects children under 15 and can cause acute encephalitis with a high fatality rate; it has killed 22 children in Gujarat during the 2026 monsoon season, with the state health department monitoring further suspected cases. CHPV outbreaks have periodically been reported from parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and central India since the virus was first identified in Maharashtra's Chandipura village in 1965. Separately, the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which classifies substances and agents by carcinogenic risk to humans, classified three widely used medicines as carcinogenic, prompting renewed calls for stronger pharmacovigilance (the science of monitoring drug safety after approval) both globally and in India.

PGIMER Flag Hoist, ROTTO North's Hat-trick Award, and 16th Organ Donation Day

Date: 03–05 August 2026

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria hoisted a 110-foot flag at PGIMER, Chandigarh; PGIMER's ROTTO North won the National Best ROTTO Award for a third consecutive year (fourth overall); and India observed the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day, with MoS Anupriya Patel calling for strengthened donation efforts.

Union Minister Highlights Sowa-Rigpa Traditional Medicine System

Date: 07 August 2026

Sowa-Rigpa is a traditional system of medicine rooted in the Himalayan and Tibetan Buddhist cultural belt, practised in parts of India's Northeast and trans-Himalayan regions, and is recognised as one of the systems promoted under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy). Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav's call for it to emerge as a globally recognised evidence-based healthcare system reflects the Ministry's broader push to build scientific validation and international acceptance for India's traditional medicine systems.

NITI Aayog Report on Strengthening India's Caregiving Workforce

Date: 07 August 2026

NITI Aayog's report, titled "Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat @2047," responds to India's rapidly growing elderly population and the rising demand for professional caregivers for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and long-term-care patients. It notes that most caregiving in India today is informal and unorganised, and recommends creating a National Carer Council to regulate the sector along with structured training, certification, social security, and defined career pathways for caregivers.

Key Defence & Institutional Appointments

Date: 01–08 August 2026

Varsha Ashok Aglawe became the first woman Director General of the Geological Survey of India (176-year history); K Rajaraman's IFSCA chairpersonship was extended to October 2028; Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja was named DGAFMS; Air Marshal Tejpal Singh became Deputy Chief of Air Staff and Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod became Deputy Chief of Naval Staff; and Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth became the first woman IAF fighter pilot to complete the Fighter Combat Leader course. Air Marshal A K Bharti retired as DCAS after a career including Operation Sindoor media briefings; former Army Chief General V.N. Sharma (14th COAS, 1988–90) passed away at 95.

---

8. Sports

India's Best-Ever Commonwealth Games 2026 Boxing and Judo Performances

Date: 01–03 August 2026 | Location: Glasgow

India won 7 gold and 3 silver in boxing — its best-ever CWG boxing showing — including golds for Preeti Pawar (54 kg) and Jaismine Lamboria (57 kg), both by 5-0 verdicts. In judo, Harsh Singh (60 kg) and Asmita Dey (48 kg, via Golden Score) became the first Indian man and woman to win CWG judo gold, taking India's judo medal tally to a record four.

Tejaswin Shankar Wins India's First CWG Decathlon Medal; Neeraj Chopra-Yash Vir Deliver Javelin Double Podium

Date: 01 August 2026

Tejaswin Shankar won decathlon bronze (7,976 points) despite chronic patellar tendinitis — his second CWG medal in two different disciplines after 2022 high-jump bronze. Neeraj Chopra (85.83m, silver) and Yash Vir Singh (85.41m personal best, bronze) gave India its first-ever CWG double podium in men's javelin; Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage won gold with a Games Record 89.75m.

Tanvi Sharma Wins Maiden BWF Super 300 Title

Date: 03 August 2026 | Location: Taipei Open

Young Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma claimed her first-ever BWF Super 300 title at the Taipei Open, marking a breakthrough win on the international badminton circuit. The BWF Super 300 tier sits in the middle rung of the Badminton World Federation's World Tour rankings, below Super 500/750/1000 events, and titles at this level carry ranking points that count toward players' Olympic and World Championship qualification standing. The win adds to India's broader strength in badminton this season alongside its strong showing across other Commonwealth Games 2026 disciplines. This is a useful current-sports item for questions on India's emerging badminton talent and the BWF tournament structure.

Cabinet Approves Expanded Khelo India Scheme (₹36,441 Crore)

Date: 01–02 August 2026

The combined outlay covers the expanded Khelo India Scheme and enhanced support to National Sports Federations for 2026-27 to 2030-31 — a significantly larger allocation than the scheme's previous phase. It introduces the Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIAs) category to identify and support promising young talent, Khelo India Feeder Schools and Utkrishta Vidyalayas to build a structured grassroots-to-elite talent pipeline, and a National Coach Accreditation Board to standardise coaching qualifications. The scheme also promotes women's and para-athletes' participation, sports science support, and infrastructure development, with a Unified Digital Sports Platform intended to improve transparency in athlete selection, funding, and performance tracking — directly responding to the governance concerns raised at the National Sports Federation Conclave 2026.

National Sports Federation Conclave 2026

Date: 07 August 2026

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, who heads the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, called for transparent selection processes, athlete-centric governance, and institutional reforms at the National Sports Federation Conclave 2026. National Sports Federations (NSFs) are the apex bodies governing individual sports in India and operate under the National Sports Code, which lays down norms for their functioning, elections, and accountability — a recurring theme in sports-governance current affairs.

---

Compiled from verified PIB press releases and daily current-affairs bulletins, 01–08 August 2026.